Jehangir Rashid
SRINAGAR: Rationalization of the teaching staff in Central Kashmir’s Budgam district has never taken off in the real sense as a Senior Assistant (SA) working in the Zonal Education Office (ZEO) Budgam is calling the shots after receiving the money from the teachers in lieu of deal.
Sources said that the SA at the ZEO Budgam manages to transfer the teachers according to their own convenience and in lieu of the same he receives ‘hefty’ sum from such teachers. It is due to this reason that transfer of teachers never takes place in the real sense in the district.
‘There is dearth of teaching staff in the far flung areas of the Budgam district. Huge number of teachers is posted in the schools that fall very close to the jurisdiction of Srinagar Municipal Corporation. This has resulted into a situation where the students of far off areas are yearning for the teachers so that they receive quality education,” said sources.
Sources said that the SA transfers the teachers to the schools and then shifts them back to the original place of posting. They said that while some teachers pay the sum in one go there are others who pay the sum one monthly basis.
“Teachers are shuttled between Government Middle School, Gogo, Government Primary School, Matibagh, Government Middle School, Humhama and Government Primary School, Bagandar-Humhama. These teachers are enjoying like anything since they are not posted in the far flung areas of the district,” said sources.
Sources said that the teachers who get shuttled between these schools enjoy House Rent Allowance (HRA) as the schools are located very close to the municipal limits of the Srinagar district. They said the higher authorities of the department despite knowing the fact are reluctant in acting against the strong and influential SA.
“The concerned SA gets support from the teachers as and when somebody points fingers towards him and his role in the whole scenario. In the ideal situation the teachers of the district should be transferred on a large scale so that the schools located in the far flung areas are no more without the teachers,” said sources.
Sources said that although the matter was brought into notice at the highest level in the department no action whatsoever has been taken against him so far. They said for the reasons best known to them the department higher ups are taking no punitive action against the SA.
“The concerned Senior Assistant is posted at the Zonal Education Office, Budgam for the past nine years or so. The higher ups of the department transfer the SA to some other place with a deal that he gets back to the place of posting after a gap of three months,” said sources.